This Protector
by Kimblee Whitehead
Summary: On the discovery that she is pregnant, Rose reflects on her life, and makes it her mission to protect her child from the cruelty of the world. Based off This Protector, by The White Stripes


_I never thought I had to be this protector, so many thoughts inside my head a strange collector  
>But now...<em>

On March 8th, 1999, Rose Quartz found out she was pregnant. It wasn't something she had ever planned on happening, but she welcomed it with open arms. She was going to be a _mother. _Once more, she was going to be a mother with the love of her life, Gregory Universe. They were going to be a _family_.

And she was terrified

Her fears didn't go unjustified. There were so many dangers to the world, harsh realities she had to face. The world was a terrifying place of injustice, cruelty, and death. Needless, random death. Those who one needs the most could be taken in an instant.

When Rose was born, there were complications in the birth. Minutes after she was born, her mother died from complications. It was unexpected. It was random. And Rose was terrified it would happen to her. After all, from what she was told, she was very alike to her mother. They possessed the same features. They were identical in their mannerism. They were practically twins in their love and appreciation for all life. If they were so similar in life, what if they were similar in death.

_But now..._

It wasn't as if growing up motherless was entirely horrible, as awful as that sounded. There were good things to come with it. When Rose was three, her father remarried. A wonderful women, who treated her as if Rose was her own flesh and blood. Her new step mother even had a daughter her age; _Lapis_.

Soon after the wedding, her new family found itself expanding. Rose found herself a big sister, as baby Garnet was welcomed into the world. Two years after Garnet came Amethyst, and Pearl soon after. Her step-mother had an affinity for gem-stones.

Indeed, they were one big, happy family. A family full of laughs, love, and life. Rose couldn't be happier. She had many fond moments.

She remembered standing above Pearl's crib, as the baby cried because Amethyst was too loud. She could remember soothing the child to sleep. She could remember each lullaby she would sing her baby sister, and the cooing sound Pearl would make as she slowly fell to sleep.

She could remember the day her and Lapis had baked a cake for their parents anniversary. They had left the room for one minute, and came back to find the cake gone. The mystery of the disappearing cake was soon closed, as it was discovered Amethyst had ate the entire thing. She could remember staying by the young girl's side, as the young girl threw up the entire night.

She could remember the day Garnet came home crying. Her hair was a mess, and her knee was bleeding. Some of the local bullies had decided to make Garnet their target. Rose and Lapis wouldn't stand to watch their little sister such a mess, and taught the girl how to defend herself. The next day, Garnet once again came home bloody, but this time, she was laughing. The bullies learned not to mess with her.

But perhaps the memories she was most fond of, was a game the five sisters used to play. They used to run around their backyard, pretending they were powerful super heroes, _The Crystal Gems, _they had called themselves. Their treehouse was their mighty tree-house. They would stay in this fantasy world forever.

_But now..._

Things weren't meant to stay happy, for their little family. Rose could even pin-point the day things started to go down-hill. It was her sophomore year in high school. Their father had gotten a promotion, and the family moved across the the country. Rose and Lapis found themselves changing schools.

Rose was able to adjust to the new school just find. She was able to make new friends, she charmed all the teachers, her grades were good, it was as if the move hadn't even effected her.

Lapis, on the other hand, was also able to make new friends. But they weren't good friends. They were troubled kids, kids out to make the world a worse place. They introduced her step-sister to a dangerous world of skipping-school, and substance abuse. The change was almost instantaneous.

Rose pleaded with Lapis to not see these friends. She begged her step-sister to get help. She feared for her safety. But every objection Rose gave was met with anger and defiance by Lapis. They grew apart.

A year after they moved, Lapis snuck out of the house to hang out with her friends. It was the last time the family saw her.

_But now..._

While the loss of Lapis hit her hard. Her grades started to drop, she didn't talk to people as much as she used to. Yet, she pushed through. Rose graduated high school with honors, and found herself attending a community college for art.

That is where she met her future husband, Greg Universe. He stole her heart in an heartbeat. They went on a date, which turned into ten dates, which turned into seeing each other every night. Rose never felt some comfortable around anyone. She could tell him anything. Her greatest dreams, her deepest fears. He listened with open ears. And no matter what, he stood by her side. He assured her that the world maybe was a good place. She just needed to be optimistic.

On their one-year anniversary, she received a phone-call from her father. Her sisters had been involved in a car accident. All three were in critical condition.

She arrived at the hospital as fast as she could. An hour later, it was announced that her baby sister, Pearl had succumbed to her injuries. Soon after, Amethyst followed suit.

Garnet was a fighter. She held on for as long as she could, but a week after the accident, she was declared brain-dead. Rose never cried harder then she did, clutching onto her sister's hand as her life support was pulled. The world was truly a cruel place.

_But now..._

And here she was. About to be a mother. About to release a child into the same cruel world she had lived in. What if they were subjected to the same pain she was. What if they watched as their loved-ones died around them.

But the worst thought of all, was that her child would never know those she held most dear. Her child would never know her rebellious step-sister. Her child would never know the strength of Garnet, the independence of Amethyst, the dignity of Pearl.

But what if her child never knew the love of her. What if she followed in her mothers footsteps? She couldn't stand the thought.

She cried her fears every night to Greg. And in between her sobs, she would try and think of the good times. She would think about her family, united as it once was. All the good times they had together. _The Crystal Gems. _

Thats when she had an idea. She sprung from her bed, and went to work. She remembered every adventure she had with her siblings, every mission they went on as The Crystal Gems. She wrote them all down, but with a twist. She included her child as one of the main characters.

She wrote about her child, the youngest of the Crystal Gems, surrounded by his teammates. Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl, as he learned his power. As he learned the lessons his teammates had to offer. As the gems would combine their strengths, and become something even greater. As he basked in the love of the other gems.

She wrote about how they would reunite with the lost crystal gem, Lapis. How her child, could reach out and save her...something she was never able to do.

And as she wrote, she smiled. For her child would always have something to remember them by.

* * *

><p><em>You thought you heard a sound, there's no one else around.<br>Looking at the door, it's coming through the floor._

Twelve year old Steven Universe sat on the couch, looking at the clock. He sighed as he saw the time. It was another hour until his dad got home. He flopped down on the couch. Things were so boring when he was by himself. TV could only do so much. He got lonely.

But that's when he heard it, something coming from the floor. It sounded feminine...like someone saying his name? He froze. That was weird...wait, he looked around. The cat was nowhere to be found. He groaned. It must have slipped through the basement.

Steven ran downstairs, and scurried around the basement. He wasn't supposed to be down here, but no one else was home. No one could catch him. Besides, it was an emergency. His pet cat, Lion, had scurried down here, and he had to find the stupid cat before he hurt himself.

He saw the swish of a tail, and sprang to action. The cat hurried behind a box, but Steven managed to catch him.

"Stupid cat," he muttered, petting the beast on the head. The cat twitched in his grasp, but he began to make his way out.

That was, until he felt something. He couldn't describe the feeling, but it was as if something was gesturing him somewhere. And though he didn't know why, he followed his judgement. He followed this feeling, until he found a box. It had a simple label.

For Steven  
>From Mom<p>

Steven stood, dumbstruck. He had never met his mother. She had died minutes after he was born, complications from childbirth. But yet...she had something for him. He slowly approached the box, and with a deep breath, he opened it.

Inside lay a series of journals. Steven set down the cat, and picked one up. He read the label.

_Steven and the Crystal Gems_

* * *

><p><em>Thank you for reading. I was listening to the White Stripes, This Protector, when I had the idea for this. It's a little melodramatic...but I like the idea. Hopefully, you all enjoyed.<em>  
><em>Thanks for reading, and don't forget to check out my other stories. The Puppetmaster, and Control and Chaos.<em>


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